Register to Vote

Registering to vote has never been easier or more convenient. You can register online, in person or you can download registration forms and register through the mail. Below you can find information for each of the four ways to register during the standard voter registration period. Please make sure to check the specific deadline for the form you select as dates differ depending on the method of registration.

4. In Person

An Illinois Secretary of State's drivers license facility. You can register to vote when you obtain or renew your driver’s license or state identification card at any of the license facilities. Registration is also available at other state government offices, including public assistance offices and military recruitment offices.

Grace Period & Election Day Registration and Voting

If you miss both voter registration deadlines, you may still register to vote during the Grace Period or on Election Day.

Grace Period Registration and Voting

Grace Period Registration and Voting extends the registration period by allowing voters to register and vote until the Monday before an election. Guidelines limit when and where grace period registrants can vote – during the 27 day grace period, voters must register and vote in person at one of the Clerk’s designated grace period locations.

Individuals wishing to vote during the grace period must bring two pieces of identification to register, one with a current address. Grace period registrants must immediately cast their ballot after registering to vote.

Election Day Registration and Voting

On Election Day, voters who are not registered to vote can register and vote at their home precinct only. Any voter who is not registered and needs to know where to go to register and vote on Election Day can utilize the Clerk’s online Your Voter Information Tool to find their proper polling place by address or birthday.

Voters planning on registering to vote or updating their address on Election Day must bring two pieces of identification to register, one with a current address.

Voter Registration Video

Registro de Votantes del Condado Cook

Voting Rights for the Formerly Incarcerated:Formerly incarcerated citizens who have served their time are eligible to register and vote in Illinois. While there are states with restrictions on voting rights for the formerly incarcerated, in Illinois there is no distinction between formerly incarcerated community members (regardless of their crime) and their fellow citizens. The Clerk’s office encourages every eligible citizen to register at their current address and take an active role in our democratic process.

Voting Rights for Jail Detainees:The Cook County Clerk’s office wants to make sure that Cook County jail detainees are able to exercise their right to vote.

Jail detainees largely are eligible to vote –disenfranchisement laws don’t apply to someone who is awaiting trial – as they haven’t been convicted of a crime, and often, they are being held in jail because they can’t afford bail before their trail.

The Clerk’s office works with volunteers from advocacy and legal groups to give detainees the opportunity to both register and vote.

Detainees vote at the Jail, using mail ballots they have previously requested from visiting Clerk’s staff and volunteers. Voting day for detainees takes place on a specific day, usually a week before Election Day, during the Early Voting period.